Extracted from The New Sunday Times

 

Call to do away with department for Orang Asli

9 August 2009, Evangeline Majawat

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must sweep away all paternalistic approaches when dealing with indigenous people.

 

Indigenous Peoples' Network of Malaysia president Adrian Lasimbang said patronising the Orang Asal to accept the mainstream way of life must end.

 

"The Orang Asal will only be truly empowered when their involvement is on equal footing with the rest of Malaysia."

 

As part of his message on the International Day of the World's Indigenous People today, Lasimbang said the public must stop viewing the Orang Asal as "lazy, not intelligent and easily manipulated".

 

"We want to be involved in the decision-making process that affects our communities.

 

"This is why we want the government to recognise our rights as provided for under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," he said.

 

In this aspect, he said the indigenous people in Sabah and Sarawak were doing better than the Orang Asli in the peninsula.

 

"We are allowed a bigger say in these states as we're the majority. But the Orang Asli can't do much because of the Orang Asli Affairs Department," he said.

 

Lasimbang said the department's "godfather attitude" was doing more harm than good.

 

Centre for Orang Asli Concerns coordinator Colin Nicholas described the department as a "stumbling block".

 

He said its aim to assimilate the Orang Asli into mainstream culture was defeated with the existence of "a special department to look into one ethnic group".

 

"Why do we need one department to supposedly help the Orang Asli integrate into mainstream society?

 

"They are Malaysians. So, they should also enjoy the benefits of being a citizen without this body."

 

He said the department acted like a "gatekeeper" for all Orang Asli matters, with all other government agencies having to go through it.

 

Lasimbang and Colin believed that a council made up of Orang Asli leaders such as the Sabah Native Affairs Council would be better.

 

"Do away with the department and put a council in place. But empowerment is not just about putting some Orang Asli at decision-making levels. It is also about transparency and openness," said Colin.

 

But the department's director-general Mohd Sani Mistam said it was open to everyone.

 

"We do accommodate them. We listen to their grouses and consult the Tok Batins."